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UNITED STATES PATEIT QFFiCE.

THOMAS P. BRIODY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO YVILLIAM D. SPILLAN, OF SAME PLACE.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,155, dated May 22, 1894.

Application filed June 5, 1893. Serial No. 476,630. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: extending from the bottom of the box nearly Be it known that I, THOMAS P. BRIODY, a up to the upper edge of the pen, enough of citizen of the United States, residing at South the metal beingleft to retain the unity of the Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton tin. Through these openings the balls with 5 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented which the puzzle is operated, are adapted to certain'new and useful Improvements in Puzpass. zles; and I do declare the following to be a The pen is separated from the greater porfull, clear, and exact description of the invention of the box by means of a fence or partition, such as will enable others skilledin the tion cl, which extends entirely across the box 60 art to which it appertains to make and use from one side to the other, and is provided the same, reference being had to the accomwith a series of gates e through which the panying drawings, and to the letters of refballs are adapted to pass. These gates are erence marked thereon which form a part of arranged to allow the balls to pass from the this specification. pen side of the partition into the main portion 6 5 I 5 My invention relates to an improvement in of the box, but to prevent the balls from pass that general class of puzzles in which one or ing. from the main portion directly into the more rolling objects, usually balls, are empen, and they consist of the inverted U- ployed in connection with ahome or pen and shaped frames 6' from the horizontal porvarious retarding devices, the object beingto tion of which are pivotally hung the me- 70 place the balls in the pen notwithstanding tallic plates 6 of a length greater than the the adverse influence ofv the retarding dedistance from the two arms vertical of the vices; and my object is to produce a device frames 6. The plates e are arranged at of this general character wherein the accomthe side of the frames opposite the pen, and plishment of the object will be rendered as are therefore capable of swinging awayfrom 5 difficult as will be consistent with the possithe pen to allow the balls to pass out unbility of success, thereby making the game der the frames, but will bind against the more interesting and desirable. vertical arms thereof when the reverse move- To this end my invention consists in the ment is attempted beyond a vertical line. peculiar features of construction and combi- Arranged in the middle of the partition 61 o nation and arrangement of parts which will with two of the gates on each side, is a pasbe fully described in detail and finally emsage f, formed of two parallel strips of sheet bodied in the claim. metal having their lower edges fitted in Referring to the accompanying drawings grooves or slots formed in the bottom of the which illustrate myinvention, Figure 1 reprebody. This passage opens at its forward end 8 5 3 5 sents a plan view thereof; Fig. 2 a cross secinto the compartment containing the pen, and

tion on the line I'I of Fig. 1. its rear end is in communication with or is The reference letter a indicates the body of extended into the passage g. This passage is the game which is a rectangular shallow box formed of two duplicate strips of sheet metal provided with a glass face I) and formed prefg secured in place by means similar to those 0 4o erably of wood, although this has no referemployedin connection with the strips of pasence to the invention. Arranged within this sage f. The front ends of the metal strips g box at the front end is the home or pen a into diverge from each other when adjacent to the which, according to the game, the balls are to passage f and the said front ends and the rear be placed. This device is formed of a sheet ends of the strips of passage f are connected 9 5 4 5 of tin bent in the shape of the letter U, and to each other by means of the gates h similar having the ends of its arms 0 projecting to the gates e, and arranged so that they will close up against the front end of the box a, open outwardly only, thereby allowing the the whole forming a square inclosure which balls to escape from the passage g and yet shall hereinafter be known as the pen. making it impossible for them to return by zoo 5o Formed at each bend in the sheet of tin of way of the gates. By this method of arwhich the pen is composed, is an opening 0 ranging the passages, a diamond-shaped inclosure, 1', is formed. Rearward of this inclosure the strips g curve out fromeach other in the arc of a circle, and thence back parallel with the main partition to a point in ngitudinal alignment with the passage f, where an opening it is left for the passage of the balls, the curved portion forming a flaring or f unnel-shaped mouth through which the balls must pass to the opening 7; and passages beyond.

Located in the spaces or passages Z between the curved rear ends of the metal strips g, are the large balls m, one for each passage and of such a size that they will fit snugly therein, but be capable of movement along the passage. This movement is limited rearwardly by means of the studs or pins n, fixed about midway of the passage and operating to confine the balls in the forward portion thereof; the opening it and the opening 0 through which the balls pass to get into the inclosure 2' being smaller than the balls m, thus making it impossible for them to escape from the passages 0 and k.

Arranged in the center of the diamondshaped inclosure, and in longitudinal alignment with the passagefand openings 0 and k, is a pin or stud t", which is designed to act as a retarding device for the balls when they enter the inclosure, as will be fully described hereinafter.

The reference letter 19 indicates the balls with which the puzzle is operated. These are preferably five in number, although this may be varied if desired, and are of such a size that they will readily pass through the openings 7c and 0, through the passage f and also through the gates t' and h.

The object of the puzzle is to transfer all the small balls 19 from the large compartment of the body to the pen a by way of the openings k and 0, inclosure t' and passagef. The balls are moved by the usual method, viz: by holding the puzzle in the hand and tilting it so as to make them roll about its surface, no other method being admissible. The attainment of this result will prove very ditficult owing to the numerous devices which operate to retard the passage of the smaller balls.

For example: the balls are first started at the star opposite the opening k, and to pass one of them through this opening and the opening 0, will be rendered highly diflicult because of the balls m, which will roll down much faster than the small balls, and thus block the passage.- It is possible, however, to work the small balls past this point, and when this has been accomplished, they are apt to escape from the inclosure '11 by striking the stud t" and then rebounding out of the gates h. After a portion of the balls have i been lodged in the pen it will be obvious that great care will have to be exercised to prevent them from rolling back, during the manipulation of the remaining balls.

The pen, passages and other devices in the body of the puzzle are described as being formed of tin or sheet metal, but it will be obvious that this can be changed to various other materials such as paste or card-board, which could be used with equal if not better results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- A puzzle comprising a body portion had. a plane surface capable of being tilted at w rious angles, a partition or fence extending across said plane surface and having on opening therein, an inclosure on one side of the partition and having two openings therein, one of which is common to the opening in the partition and the other communicating with that part of the plane surface which is on the same side of the partition as the inclosure,a ball in the inclosure and capable of movement only within the inclosure and a second ball smaller than the first and capable of passing the openings in the inclosure and the opening in the partition, whereby upon tilting the body the second ball may be worked through the said. openings and from one side of the partition to the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS P. BRIODY.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL R. MORGAN, EDWARD J. MALLoY. 

